


Gravity Zero

by orphan_account



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2006-01-14
Updated: 2006-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-15 00:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heero spent his entire life on the run, and knew no other way to live. Not until he lands himself a job and home in a destitute city, and undergoes what could've been a fatal accident does he start opening up to those he loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part Zero-One: Last Impression - Prologue

I've spent most of my life on the run, right now being the latest example. With half my life left behind in that quaint old city, I run. It always has to end like this, for someone who grew up with a fake name; a fake life. Via Odin Lowe, Heero Yuy has officially been erased from all data banks. I don't exist once again.

I used to enjoy the idea of not existing in the world; that way, no one would feel the need to connect with me. If anyone asked me my name, I'd come up with the perfect alias, and they'd accept it. However, Heero Yuy had become quite the guy to others, thus my leaving half my life behind.

I know they won't forget me, and I almost regret my selfish weakness because of it. She wouldn't leave me alone; she was the one who wanted to become "friends" and I knew it wouldn't last. I'd eventually have to run out on her, leaving her all alone in her miserable, sheltered life. Emphasis on "almost" regretting it, though. She's not alone right now; the last I saw of her, she was gripping her fiancé's hand. They'd resolved quite a fiery dispute, inadvertently due to an accident I had... so I guess I played my part in making sure she wasn't alone when I had to skip town yet again. It's the least I could do; without her, five more years of my life would've been lonely.

But, I had to leave it all, including her. Once again, I'm running. Once again, I have no name. I dropped off the face of the earth the moment she shook my hand good-bye. The cops would be looking for us after that fire was put out. Lowe was such an idiot for getting cornered like that, but he did come through for me in the end. I was also an idiot, for getting stuck in the hospital while Lowe was having his problems. I couldn't make his sacrifice be in vain, so I had to take off. She understood, but I could still see tears in her eyes.

I've driven Deathwing about thirty miles west from there; only two thousand-nine hundred-seventy to go, if we make it. This damn rain and all the fog isn't helping any. It does reflect my mood perfectly, though. I didn't want to leave her; she was half my life.

It's not all bad, I suppose. Without me around, I don't have to worry about her getting into trouble. The liberal mayor's daughter having anything to do with a vagabond redneck orphan would have the academy doing back flips in their underwear. No one, aside from her brother and fiancé, knew we were friends. She tried to show the school what we were, and I chose to ignore her; neither of us needed the added attention. I was too introverted and independent for any kind of friendship, as everyone assumed. I never realized how much I hated being alone, until she went abroad during summer break. I kissed her when she returned, but she didn't return it. I wanted to convey how much she meant to me somehow, and that was the first thing that came to mind. I had no interest in becoming romantically involved with her, and she knew it; I had to keep her out of danger.

She wasn't the only one who had such a strong impact on me, however. Lowe was the only guy who ever encouraged me to call him "Dad." That foolish old man made a critical mistake that initiated my needing to skip town, though if it weren't for him, I would've probably spent the last five years sleeping in a box, or even worse, a foster home. I hated being in the presence of foster parents, since that's precisely what I was running from in the first place. Being controlled by adults isn't my style, and I've outsmarted too many in my day. Now at eighteen, there's nothing they can do to me. You could say my life is complete, save for one thing.

Duo Maxwell, sitting to the right of me with his eyes clamped shut. He spent three sleepless nights trying to finish this car, after Gravity and Zero were completely totaled. Had he not been accompanying me, the other half of my life would have been left behind as well. I never would've guessed that Duo of all people could cross the line that She simply could not. Heh, I hated him before I even knew him, then I loved him before I even knew myself. Just when Heero Yuy was truly about to be born, he had been aborted, and I had to run once again.

At least I didn't have to go alone this time.

TBC


	2. Part Zero-One: Friend - Chapter 1

Heero Yuy gazed out his bedroom window, and a cool breeze came pushing through his unruly bangs. Unusually chilly weather for the summer, he noted. It had already been nearing the end of June, and he'd barely experienced a week's worth of heat thus far. Such irony, he'd finally bothered to buy and install an air conditioner just for a summer that felt more like mid-autumn.

He heard a hard knock, followed by three consecutive soft ones and another hard one at the door. He struggled into a pair of old jeans and a stray sweat shirt while he headed for the door. He knew who it was immediately by the unique knock.

"What do you want?" he asked in a drained tone as he stared down his lovely young neighbor, Relena Peacecraft.

"Good afternoon, Heero?" said Relena, chosing to brush off his tone. He wasn't exactly full of sunshine and hellos as of late.

Heero stepped onto the cracked concret of his walkway and took a look at the small red toolbox she held in her hands. He had the urge to bury his face in his palm, but refrained.

"Oh, you remember what you promised right?"

He nodded once in response.

"Shall we get to work, then?" She cocked her head to the side as she smiled. She had a bandana tied in her hair, and she wore a stained, off-white t-shirt, which was most likely pillaged from her older brother's closet.

"You really are serious about this." He said it like he'd been expecting it, but still couldn't believe it. Since he'd met and gotten to know Relena, he never underestimated her ambition. Just your typical, bratty, rich girl, he would think; she always had to get her way. She seldom wanted something unless it benefitted for herself as well as others, though. Sometimes it was nice, other times it was annoying. At least her heart was always in the right place.

"Well, it's obvious that you can't do it," Relena stated, refering to Heero's right arm that hung limp and fractured in a sling. Oh yeah, he forgot about that. "I hope no one was watching when you set that thing."

He snorted. "Who'd be here to watch?"

"Haha, good point." She headed straight for the garage, as they continued on with their "friendly" banter.

Thick clouds that rolled by began to grey across the sky. It was nearing late afternoon- looked as if it were about to rain, too, and Relena hadn't gotten much done. She assumed Heero would've been more help, since this was his own car that she was attempting to repair. He was unable to show her how to attach whatcha-ma-thingies to what-ya-ma-call-its, since one of his arms was of no use. He'd always just tweaked Zero on his own. He knew what the pieces were, where they went, why they went, how they went, but explaining it all to Relena was like trying to teach a rock how to tap dance. The week's worth of oil puddled underneath the car made his face blanche a bit. That wouldn't be cheap to replace.

It was only the first day, though, and she'd eventually get it right, he hoped.

Relena scrubbed the grease off her gloved hands with an old rag and sighed, feeling disappointed by the outcome. The basic gist of a car was not a foreign concept to Heero; explaining it, however, was a whole different story. With his righty currently on hiatus, he certainly couldn't show her much yet. It was difficult, keeping a broken bone he set himself into place with no cast present, so she didn't allow him to take risks. That was best, if he wanted it to heal quickly and avoid any doctors.

"Do you think you've had enough for one day?" said Heero, as Relena continued to hover stubbornly over the engine with a contemplative look in her eyes. She hadn't a single clue which parts were which, even if she did often watch her fiance Wufei Chang fix cars. She wished she'd brought his manual from the repair shop, but she didn't want him suspecting anything. This was her surprise to him, as well as his wedding present to her. "Prove you can do a man's job, and I'll let you have a man's job" was his promise, in spite of his family's wishes, and she never ceased to think about it. Granted, she wasn't a fan of auto-repair; she just didn't want to pass up the perfect opportunity to do the perfect "man's job" and prove herself capable.

"Yes, I think that'll do for today." She wiped the sweat from her furrowed brows while she struggled to close the heavily dented hood. The hinges on that would need some fixing, too, or perhaps the whole damn thing was to be replaced. It resembled the craters of Mercury, as seen in science documentaries. Science, politics, and now cars were the center of her life; not quite doting housewife material. She'd make Wufei see that, if it was the last thing she did.

After gathering wayward tools into her box, she turned to bid Heero good-bye, until her right thigh slipped across a sharp point on the hood.

She sucked her bared teeth and Heero jolted from his seat immediatly. Without saying a word, he lead her into the house and toward the bathroom to treat the angry looking wound.

It barely bled as she limped along, but judging by the look on her face, it must've still hurt like crazy. At least it wasn't severe. That hood definitely had to go, though.

"I knew I should've worn jeans," she said, the pain in her voice being much too obviously masked. Short shorts and machinery didn't mix, and now she knew. Overdoing the feminist tomboy thing would be her undoing.

Once they reached the bathroom, Heero reached for the medical supplies in the cabinet above the wash basin. From it, he pulled out a box of gauze pads, some rubbing alcohol, and an ace bandage for her. He almost forgot that his righty was out of commission in the process and cringed as a dull pain shot up his shoulder.

"It's all right, Heero, I can do the rest myself."

She took a seat on the toilet as she quickly applied a swab full of alcohol, and it stung like hell on rye. Fighting the urge to cry out, Relena took a deep breath and continued rubbing. Heero handed her more gauze and the bandage once the worst of it was over, and she smiled in attempt to mask her pained state.

After she was all bandaged up, the pair headed into Heero's terse bedroom. Save for a few stray socks, the young boy really knew how to keep his room neat and organized, which Relena respected in him.

"Need one for the road?" He tossed her a pair of hip huggers, so no one would see the bandage on her leg.

She giggled and accepted the blue jeans with a thankful nod. 'Leave it to Heero to be a hero of all sorts,' she thought. Heero turned away as she discarded her former shorts and waited in silence as she changed.

"You can turn around now."

They didn't fit her figure quite right, but it was all Heero had to offer. Relena just hoped that neither "man of the house" was home from work early. At least the pants would keep her warm as she dashed through the rain.

Life was relatively quiet in the city Heero had come to live in. He showed up at roughly around thirteen years of age. Everything was so quaint, as opposed to what one would normally see of cities on television. Most clocks still had Roman numerials, mini shops and buildings over two hundred years old that stood proudly in every which direction, though businesses came and went in a breeze. There was only one public library left open, while there'd been three when he first settled here, and it was the smallest one. It was also the library that had more computers than books these days.

He appeared to be such a humble and quiet boy in the eyes of most. Only a little less than normal, but what else was new? With above average intelligence, an inquisitive way of thinking, and a face with a striking mixture of mysterious beauty and firm strength, it was hard for one not to occasionally be intrigued by him.

He never felt he was free to express himself anywhere; there was just no incentive to let the world know who he was. He'd isolated himself in the confines of his new home, expecting to always be alone, until the one called Relena insisted on making friends with him. He'd tried everything, even threatened to kill her with a pocket knife just to make her go away, but all she did was hand him a note. He tore it up and told her to get lost, as he aimed the knife toward her head. Just as he lunged forward, she stuffed the next gift she hid behind her back right into his chest, causing him to pause. He even dropped the knife.

His eyes brimmed with tears, and he slammed the door in her face. Something about that girl made him feel weak inside, and now she'd seen it. Tears weren't allowed to fall anymore; he came to this city to escape from them. What Relena made him feel wasn't that of sorrow, fear, or even hatred, though... which was different. He didn't trust the feeling; he also didn't want her to become trapped in his miserable world, so he pushed her as hard as he could. And what did she do? She gave him a teddy bear.

He wept quietly to himself.

No one had ever given him a present; he had to earn everything. Unconditionally, the girl handed him a brand new teddy bear, and things changed between them. All she wanted was to be his friend. Why him and not, hell, ANYBODY else was beyond him. She was the mayor's daughter. She was lovely, distinguished, classy, kind, conservative, and rich. At least, that was the mask she wore, just so her father wouldn't have to worry about her.

The more Heero got to know this abstruse little girl, the more he... liked her. Being both rich and taciturn wasn't a normal thing, as far as he was concerned, but that's exactly how she was at school. There were girls who positively worshipped the side she showed, and chalked her graceful silence up to her being the most dignified girl in school. However, Relena's lack of trust and connection with these squealy little butt-kissers was her reason for keeping so quiet. Traditionalism was the style of the richer folk in the state, and Relena just didn't have those same beliefs.

She was the only real friend he allowed himself to have. She was just as lonely and secluded from the world as he was. His parents, though they weren't even his real ones, treated him like utter garbage throughout his childhood. The majority of the time he spent raking droppings out of stables, and got beaten if he showed any signs of slowing down. His physical strength enhanced from his work on the farm, though it hardly showed, according to the other workers. The "parental figures" took him in to "toughen him up" as it were, yet no matter how hard he worked, he never looked like anything more than a scrawny little boy with a pretty face.

He worked damn hard, toughening up, and gaining all kinds of strength, just because he was told to. His phsycal prowess soon became second only to the angry bull named Ted next door, and to avoid being called any kind of wussy, he made sure his facial features were cold and stoic, no matter what the situation was. All of the rage, as well as affection seeking emotions that bubbled deep within him froze. He worked, he stayed quiet, and he ignored his toothless, drunken "parents." That was his life, until the night a rifle was aimed between his eyes.

That night, he took off perminantly, after the "father" accused him of burning the bear skin carpet. It was one rank carpet, too, but Heero didn't touch it. Heero fled for his life once he heard the gun click and headed up north where he wouldn't be found.

He was a fast learner; an inquisitive, intuitive, and extremely intelligent for a boy his age. He felt no remorse in outsmarting people, some of them really deserved it. He took the stealthy route behind the brush, so police wouldn't catch him walking on the highway (he didn't chance hitchhiking.) Once he reached the states farther north, he felt safe enough to cram himself into the darkest corners of busses and subways, and sometimes he traveled through the sewers, to go completely unnoticed. Through all this sneaking around, he ran into a man named Doctor J. in the slums of NYC. The old man sold weird drugs and did experiments that were more or less against the law. He was the perfect ally. To ensure he stayed under the radar, J. eventually advised him to head farther North, and gave Heero the directions to where he could claim a good racer on his way there, and a short list of people he could trust.

With the list, he was able to find a place to live in a matter of days.

Granted he put his computer skills to good work, he landed himself a job and a home from the man on the top of the list. Being a fellow runaway himself, a landlord and chief file hacker named Odin Lowe gave Heero a small place to stay, provided his skills were as top notch as he claimed.

Once those skills were descreetly approved, Lowe offered this young prodigy not only a home, but the alias "Heero Yuy" as well. It was a name he randomly picked out of an efficient 'Fake Names' list on his table. Schools most likely wouldn't buy a name like Snot-Nosed Little Faggot, or Black Alpha, as J. used to call him. The boy had to go to school, so he would seem like a less suspicious character. He made sure to land the talented young hacker a spot in the most corrupt, head-shoved-in-ass school there was, just because they were least likely to do any deep digging into his records.

This arrangement worked out surprisingly well for the young teen. Before he knew it, he was preparing for his senior year in high school, and had not once been questioned, or even suspected. Lowe even attended Parent-Teacher meetings on occasion, claiming to be "Heero Yuy sr." if ever Heero felt the teachers had any doubts.

Heero sat upright once his alarm went off and he set aside his old teddybear. It was an hour until midnight, and he had to get ready for work.

After Relena scrambled on home in the stormy weather, Heero went straight to bed, wanting to get in more Z's so he wouldn't be feeling groggy.

On arrival, Lowe greated him with a fair smile and handed him the day's assignments. All too simple, Heero thought, as he tap-tap-tapped away at his laptop. A good job, with good pay, and the closest thing to a real father Heero had since... hell, ever. Life was good, and Lowe didn't even mind that his most prized employee was still just a young orphan boy. He never doubted the boy's skills after they were first put into action; his prime concerns were money and making sure his underground business wasn't discovered.

Heero's eight-hour shift drew to an end before he even knew it, and it was already morning. The sun was pouring through the windows and reflected off the puddles. Another hacker named Alex came to take his place. They exchanged curt hellos before Heero linched his denim jacket and headed for the door. From what he knew, Alex had a sick spose to support, so he joined this organization as last resort to make money, or so Lowe told him during one of his coffee breaks. Interesting fact, though Heero didn't think Alex was to be trusted. The man never looked worried about anything; he was just a hard working young gentleman who did a self-sufficient job with a grin on his face. He also liked to talk, a lot, which was a field Heero lacked severely in.

Alex certainly wasn't the first congenial person Heero distrusted; damned if he'd be the last.

\---

"I say we get a professional to finish the job," Heero finally confessed out of frustration, as Relena's myriad of tried and failed attempts to get the ignition going were beginning to graze his patience.

"All my efforts would go to waste then," she said, turning the key for the umpteenth time that hour.

Heero checked his calendar. One week and three days she has been at this. Her biggest philosophy was Edison's infamous, "I know a million ways not to make a lightbulb." Because of that saying, she now knew a billion ways not to fix a car. He admired her for all the effort she put into this project, but it was time she looked at a more logical side of things, rather than continue to be a blind optimist.

He didn't like the idea of a complete stranger working on his car, though. That was Doctor J.'s treasure; a car that mad man created with his own two hands, and would recklessly test ride in, until he wound up losing his arm in an accident. He bragged that it was the best dammed car to own if Heero wanted to be a racer. The thought was intriguing at the time, and he had always been quite fond of it, until...

"Heero."

"What?" he asked with a quiet grunt. Having been pulled out of his thoughts so suddenly made him sound irritable, but he was grateful. Now just wasn't the time to start taking a jog down that street of memories.

"I have an idea."

TBC


	3. Part Zero-One: Reckless Fire - Chapter 2

"Heero, I have an idea."

"I never would have guessed," he said, with a hint of sarcasm. He didn't know whether the pretend light bulb above her head or her eyes shined brighter. Usually when she came out like this, her ideas were good ones that would work, no matter how bizarre. She could turn the sky orange and keep it that way if she worked hard enough at it.

"Remember me telling you about the time my convertible broke down?" Heero shook his head. He was tempted to ask which one? but two lines of sarcasm in a row wasn't his style. One was funny, two was just rude.

"No."

"Oh, well... " She took a second to recollect her thoughts and get back on topic before her idea went astray.

\---

_"Do you have a problem with your car, ma'am?" said an approaching young woman as Relena struggled to get her vehicle running. It was Hilde Schbeiker, the head mechanic at the vocational arts school just down the street. She wore a button down tan shirt with a blue scarf wrapped around her neck, which made her look like a biker, almost. Relena wouldn't put it past her; rumor had it, there was nothing this woman couldn't ride, and nothing she couldn't fix. She was Wufei Chang's biggest rival.  
What on earth was she doing here, though?_

_Could a coincidence like this really be possible? Especially after that argument with Wufei the previous night? Could this be fate in the works?_

_Hilde just stood there grinning, as if waiting for something, but what? What could a girl like that possibly want with..._

_... FrrrRrrrRRR..._

_The engine just wouldn't start._

_Hilde's grin got bigger._

_Relena could see why she was a worthy adversary; she was bold. It was rare that a girl like her would approach the mayor's daughter with such a calm face, but at the moment, it didn't really matter. Relena had more important things to worry about. She rattled the key around in the ignition with more frustration now._

_The engine backfired for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, and Relena's temples were already throbbing with frustration and anxiety. She was already late for her parents' twenty-fifth anniversary as it was..._

_"Yes, certainly I do," she responded, trying not to let her plaintive tone break loose. In all her frustration, she felt as if she were choking on fire, and her eyes welled with tears. If only the battery in her cell phone hadn't died, then she would've called Heero up and asked for a lift. It wasn't an easy situation, but she supposed walking home wouldn't kill her; it wouldn't make her as late as just sitting there and making futile attempts to get the engine going._

_In front of a mechanic, no less._

_... Wait..._

_"Mind if I take a look at it?"_

_It was like Hilde had read her mind. Relena gave a small nod, not knowing what else to say. The girl headed back to her truck to grab a toolbox, and sprinted back once she had it in hand._

_"My name's Hilde Schbeiker, by the way," she stated, before she dove under the hood to fix the problem. Within minutes, Relena's engine roared to life, and she smiled at the female mechanic._

_"My name is Relena Peacecraft. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Schbeiker." Hilde's smile grew quite a few watts when the rich blonde shook her hand. "Thank you for fixing my car."_

_Hilde waved it off as if she'd merely helped the girl tie her shoes and handed Relena her toolbox as a parting gift. "You take that and keep it. My work number's on the side. Give me a call if you have anymore troubles."_

\---

"So, you're suggesting we get a professional to take on the rest of this job after all?" Heero asked, sounding both surprised and skeptical. The thought of some stranger touching Zero made him uneasy, though he was one who suggested it in the first place out of pure frustration. He was already regretting the slip; Zero was not to be touched by just anyone, after all. If someone were to find out something they shouldn't...

... Heero couldn't bear the thought.

"No way. I'm going to call Hilde and ask her to teach me how it's done."

Heero's gaze locked on her's, as a lame attempt to read her mind. He had no idea what brewed in that head of hers sometimes, and quite frankly, this didn't sound good either. If he couldn't show her how it's done, who could?

Her eyes turned from his with jubilant glow, and she dialed up the number on the side of the box.

"Can't do it?" Heero's couldn't take his eyes off her now. She looked disappointed, until the the chitter on the other line revived some hope in her eyes. It took a few minutes, but Relena's face sucked itself into a satisfied state; not quite content, yet not doomed. She stuck her phone back into her pocket after exchanging brief goodbyes with Hilde.

"Hilde's... going abroad to a wedding in three days. She won't be back for about a month."

In short, she couldn't do it, yet Heero could already feel the alternative coming. "A month, you said?"

"Her... wife's brother is getting married." Relena's contemplative mood was on. "I can't believe she's already married... "

"You're getting married next year."

"Yes, but... never mind."

Hilde was indeed bold. A woman with a wife, approaching the perfect, doting, conservative mayor's daughter as if they were old buddies. That was something Relena had to respect in Hilde; it was also something she'd never forget.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts before starting over again. The air was getting thicker by the minute, and she had an uncomfortable cramp at the pit of her stomach. "Listen, she has a cousin coming over from New York who's also a mechanic. She's going to ask him to help us in her place."

Heero's eyes narrowed. He was not pleased.

\---

"Here you go, Nala," said Catherine smiling sweetly. She filled the last cat dish with food and watched her four plump felines feast on the extra goodies they'd received. For the most part, the trailer had been completely cleaned up. Every wayward bra and tampon wrapper was picked up, and the floor was vacuumed, so there was less animal hair on everything. She had her suit cases all packed and stored in the trunk. All she needed now was the wife and the babysitter.

She stuck her "to do" list on the 'fridge, which consisted of times to feed the cats, which days to clean their boxes, when to walk the dog, what time to cover the birds, which room in the trailer it was safe to let the hamsters run in their exercise balls, and who to call if the ants decided to take refuge in the doorway again. Hilde's cousin happened to be close to her brother's groom, yet claimed to be the only one who could efficiently maintain her "zoo," so he offered without a second thought.

"You're one in a million, Duo."

Just as she muttered that, none other than the man of the hour and the wife appear in the doorway, each carrying one suitcase. Cathy couldn't help but giggle at their matching black tank tops and blue jeans; they usually planned silly stuff like that over the phone while no one else was around. They were engaged in a conversation about sticking a whole bag of Lays potato chips in the microwave of all things until Hilde was cut off by a kiss. Her and Duo could go on for hours at the rate they were going; that and Hilde rushed out the door to collect him as soon as she was out of bed, forgetting her good morning kiss in the process.

"Well, it's about time you got here, big guy," said Catherine, pulling Duo into a brief hug. "I don't know how to thank you enough. I know Quatre'll be missing you there."

"Don't worry about it, Cathy. Sparky'd bite just any old idiot's hand off, you know that," responded Duo, referring to the large, red and yellow attack parrot in the other room. The three stood silently for a moment, letting the current situation sink in. In three days, Duo'd have the trailer to himself for a whole month, while the girls attended an old friend's wedding out in Madrid. "Besides, work in The Apple doesn't pay as well as the movies say. I barely made enough to pay for the gas."

"I owe you big time. Sorry Gravity needed to be towed," said Hilde. She held and expression of guilt on her face for... all of maybe thirty seconds, until Duo's forgiving smile became too much to bare. He just had that affect on people.

He waved it off as if it were nothing and took a seat on the couch. A fat, orange cat crawled right onto his lap and he unconsciously began to stroke behind it's ears.

As Cathy headed off to stick Duo's things in the guest bedroom, Hilde took a seat beside him and pulled out a folded piece of lined paper.

"If you'd like to hit the jackpot, the mayor's daughter is in a little predicament," whispered Hilde, in a mock-mobster accent. Duo nodded and looked the note over. The project looked interesting, and the price was just right. That was a year's supply of three course meals he held in his hands, and he smirked.

"Peacecraft, huh? I wonder if she's related to Milliardo Peacecraft."

"How did you know?"

"He had a flat during vacation."

"... Figures."

Before the conversation could proceed farther down the road, Cathy appeared while brushing white cat fur off her sleeves. "Sorry if the smell of carpet freshener's a bit strong in there. That's the room I taught some of my babies to do their business in."

"Um, honey, I think Duo would've been better off not knowing that," said Hilde, chuckling. Duo smiled and shook his head. He felt right at home with these two ladies. He wished they wouldn't be traveling abroad before they could start some serious catching up, but he decided to cherish his time with them instead.

"You girls up for a ride?"

Both looked slightly perplexed at the offer, and Hilde asked, "but... wasn't your car just towed?"

"Oh yeah, that." He smirked and rose to his feet. "There's a bus station near-by, huh?" The two nodded simultaneously, and he was already on his way out the door. "On the way to Chang's, I'm gonna tell you the story of how he and I became buddies a few years back... "

\---

Relena looked up at Heero as he tapped away under the hood with one arm, and placed the book she'd been engrossed aside.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then went right back in.

"It'd take a miracle for you to fix that by yourself, especially since you're single-handed."

"Yeah- it'd take a miracle for you," he retorted, feeling pretty frustrated with the whole situation. He was well aware that not only was he single-handed at the moment, but he wasn't going to become a sufficient lefty anytime soon.

"At least I can handle it." Her tone was simple, yet at the same time, it had enough force to break the skin of a shark. The thing that added more weight to her words was the blunt truth behind them.

"Some dumb shit's going to get his filthy hands on my Zero." He tossed the wrench aside and clenched his fist. He wanted to hit something, the car, the wall, his broken arm, but he needed to heal, and fast. Broken bones didn't suit him, and soon was going to cost him something he treasured more than anything.

She sighed. "Heero, you haven't even met the guy and you already hate him."

His eyes were downcast, cold. Not just anyone could lay a finger on his car. No one dared. That vehicle had been an extension of himself since the moment he dug it out of that old, abandoned warehouse. So many boxes, newspapers, and rats; not to mention the walls were all covered in mold and spiders. Zero was something he earned when he eagerly dug it out of its filth-laden prison, as well as a crazy old fool's only gift to him. It was such a unique car, that one only as crazy as its creator could get the basic gist of. No random, sleazy, dickwad from Bum-Fuck New York could even begin to understand to functions of Zero.

"Look," started Relena, as she pulled up her own crate and took a seat. "I know this car means a lot to you, but don't you think you could give Miss Hilde's cousin a chance?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Heero... " she shifted herself into a more comfortable position. "I gave Miss Hilde a chance. Why not give her cousin a chance?"

"I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone."

"I know."

Heero stood and headed into the house, ignoring the box of empty soda cans that spilled as he slammed the door behind him. What he needed was time, and maybe a nice bath to cool him off. It was very humid, compared to the past few weeks of relatively cool weather.

Relena headed home, hoping that Heero would come around just a little in time to meet the mechanic known as Duo Maxwell.

TBC


	4. Part Zero-One: Good Luck, Good-Bye - Chapter 3

"Thanks for saving my ass again, man. I really owe ya."

Wufei nodded as Duo revved Gravity's engine. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Duo."

Hilde stared out, her gaze directed nowhere in particular as old friends caught up on good times. The sky had faded into an evening pastel pink and the wind was picking up - another day with little heat and humidity. With all the time she spent working outdoors, she'd become used to the summer's usual blanket of boiling heat. Something wasn't right.

Along the horizon, Spain seemed as if it were a million miles away. The idea of being that far from Duo was unsettling, she had to admit. He always told her there was no one closer to him than she was; even so, she had quite a way to go before reaching the core of his soul. She didn't have nearly enough juice to make it that far. No one did.

She wanted him to come to the wedding so badly. Had Solo not been so ill, he would've tagged along without question. It was a miracle she could even get the younger Maxwell brother this far from home.

She checked her watch, it was almost time for supper. Cathy was off chatting with one of the workers. It gave Hilde a moment to contemplate the day's events. At first, she had no idea who'd toed Gravity just that it was, well, toed. Duo apparently had no idea that he was buddy-buddy with the man she despised above all else, but she found herself unable to say anything. Wufei was exactly the same way.

"Whoa!" The shrill of Gravity's engine ignited a pleasant warmth Duo's face. "This is amazing! Anything you'd like me to do in return, buddy?"

Wufei looked right at Hilde, and she stared back, choosing not to grace his holier-than-thou countenance with the fearful expression he probably expected. He was always like that, thinking all women were the same; thinking he knew exactly which of her buttons to push. That really ticked her off. He was the one who declared them rivals in high school, though she wanted nothing to do with him. He always tried to outmatch her in everything, from shop, to academics, to social status, to just about anything else one can think of. Where his work-o-holic tendencies and academic studies exceeded hers, and her quirky, up-beat attitude was far more appealing than his rotten temper and "moral" beliefs, they were still perfectly matched in auto-repair. Neither one was better than the other and it has always been that way.

Even after what she sacrificed to prove herself, Wufei still couldn't be beaten. She could only see to it that she wasn't either.

Wufei turned to Duo.

"Come work for me while you're here. That's how you can pay me back in full." Wufei's eyes thrust a knife right in between Hilde's. How dare he...

"We could really use a half-assed worker like you here." His contemptuous eyes then skirted toward Sally, the girl Cathy was talking to, and Hilde clenched her fists. How DARE he...

Duo didn't give it a second thought. "Count on it, buddy."

Hilde did everything in her power to avoid charging forward and hurling a fist right into Wufei's jaw, and then Duo's for good measure. She still could not believe those two were friends. Well, more than just that. Now they were co-workers. She considered calling this whole thing off and telling Duo to go back home. _Forget it, it's through, it's done. I'll not have you working with such a disgusting person_ , she'd say. She wanted to. More than anything, she wanted to break that pair off once and for all.

And then, she overheard Cathy in the distance, telling Sally all about her brother.

_"Wonderful news, Hilde! My little brother's getting married, can you believe it?"_

She wouldn't deprive Cathy this opportunity to see her only brother get married. It didn't matter what Wufei did; he could ruin her reputation, her business, and he could try to corrupt Duo, but he wouldn't hurt Cathy. She'd see him to Hell's gate before she allowed that.

Duo called the girls over after a final pat on the shoulder from Wufei. Cathy waved goodbye to her new friend and took Hilde's hand on the way to the car. No, nothing was going to ruin their time away. They were going to have a safe trip there, strange weather or not, and Duo would not be possessed by Wufei's disgusting air while they were away. No asshat in the world had the ability to overtake such a stubborn enigma.

Wufei's hard black eyes followed that wild braid of Duo's which was flopping about in the breeze until his friend was out of sight. Damn was Maxwell lucky that one of Wufei's regular trucks doubled as a tow truck, or else his ass was screwed. Lord only knew where Gravity came from; Duo preferred to keep it out of the hands of strangers. He couldn't blame him. That machine was a work of art - as was the expression on Hilde's face when he accepted his offer.

So predictable, she really was no different than any other women.

\---

Night had come, and Heero was off to Lowe's about two hours earlier than normal. On occasion, he'd drop into work early when he had too much on his mind to sleep and didn't complain if he wasn't paid extra. Since it was a particularly slow day, Lowe summoned his co-owner Otto to man the fort while he and Heero got a quick bite over at the food palace across the street. Lowe struck up a conversation once Heero started shoving clumps of cooked rice and vegetables into his mouth.

"You know, if my wife didn't die ten years ago, I swear you'd be our first son," said Lowe with an airy tone. Heero wiped some grease from his lips and took a sip of ice water.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in pouring out my soul tonight," responded Heero. It took no more than five minutes of Lowe's "first gun I ever held" story until the irate teen caved.

"Think those mobsters keying profanity onto your car was bad? I've got some strange idiot coming over in two days to check mine out."

"Oh? The Forbidden One's getting its first check up." Lowe downed his mug of coffee and asked the waitress for another. "I thought she was totaled."

Heero's brows furrowed. "Don't underestimate my car."

"Point taken, runt." The elder shook his head. Leave it to some eighteen-year-old brat to salvage a trashed "first" car. He was still amazed that Heero managed to get it past the authorities five years back; not a day went by where Heero didn't either amaze him or remind him of himself.

"Relena's too trusting."

Lowe's eyes widened a bit. Things just got interesting. "What's your little girlfriend got to do with this?"

Heero simply answered, "She's the one who hired the ass."

"Hmm, you know," Lowe started, before taking a bite of his breadstick. He washed it down with a sip of coffee and looked Heero dead in the eye. His voice was low. "You were the first child I've ever hired. I could've rejected you just for your age."

"My skills are top notch. You asked for no less so I gave you no less."

"And what if this 'ass' your girlfriend hired happens to be top notch? You wouldn't sign him off, would ya?"

Heero sighed. He knew he was probably being unreasonable, but it was his car. No one else should have to worry about it. Then again, the only reason why Relena hired him was to learn how to fix Zero. For all he knew, the unknown mechanic might actually be able to pull off fixing it by words alone. After all, Relena was a smart girl. She could follow directions, granted they were given to her in a way she could understand.

Yes, Relena would have been the one to fix his car, and not some stranger. Still, the uneasy feeling he was harboring just wouldn't leave his stomach. No matter which way he looked at it, a total stranger would be tampering with Zero. Thinking about it made him lose his appetite, and Lowe started picking off his plate.

Taking a look at the clock after awhile, they asked for the bill and Heero left a hefty tip for the waitress as Lowe paid for their dinner. What Lowe had said made Heero feel a bit better about the situation, but he doubted he'd become buddy-buddy with the guy Relena had hired.

While he had her on his mind, on their way back across the street, Heero nudged the light-haired man.

"Yah, kid?"

"Relena isn't my girlfriend."

With a smirk, Lowe gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. "Just teasin', kid, though I still say infiltrating her home and finding out just how corrupt things are in this dump is would be a blast."

Heero snorted. "What's the point? Government and corruption are one in the same."

Odin roared with laughter on the way up to his office. Heero's blunt truths were always a pleasure.

\---

It seemed like only minutes had gone by since Duo had arrived through the door, and he was already bidding his girls good-bye the morning of their flight. Just for a last minute check up, Catherine went down the list of things that had to be done.

"You know, Cathy, you've already told me everything in that e-mail you sent me," said Duo with an amused grin. The auburn-haired girl had quite a protective nature about her.

Catherine nodded and handed the list back to Duo. "I know, I know I'm just trying to make sure they're in good hands. Especially after poor Luna and the door incident." She shot Hilde and accusing look.

"How many times do have to say I'm sorry?" she said, flailing her arms. "Those blackberry dwarfs move so fast, and they're hard to see."

"Well maybe you need to wear your glasses." Cathy tossed Hilde the case that was on the phone stand, which her wife intentionally let hit the ground.

Duo threaded tense fingers through his hair. Things got ugly when his two favorite ladies ended up in a quarrel.

"Gee, look at the time. If you girls don't hustle, your plane's gonna leave without ya."

Hilde crossed her arms and forced an affronted look. "Don't tell me you're kicking us out of our own house."

"Um, yeah. Shoo!"

"Asshole." Hilde brought her hands around his neck and pretended to strangle him for a few seconds before pulling him into a tight embrace. "Thanks for doing this, Duo."

"No problem at all." He returned her embrace and saw them out the door. They barely got two days together. He was already feeling lonely without 'em.

"Good luck with my 'zoo,' Captain Smarty-pants," Cathy yelled from the passenger seat just as Hilde started revving the engine.

"Don't forget to write!" Duo yelled out as he waved the speeding car good-bye. They were going to have a blast in Madrid.

A few minutes passed. The first thing that came to Duo's mind was a certain predicament, followed by a certain wad of dough that would pay for his aid in the predicament. He didn't need to waste anymore time adjusting to the environment; his main concern was cash, cash, and cash. No time like the present to start making some

He dialed up Miss Peacecraft's number on Hilde's home phone right away, and got an answer after two rings.

"Hey, Miss Relena Peacecraft? You've got a job for me? Duo Maxwell. Uh-huh. Tomorrow's just fine with me. Noon? Gotcha. Later."

He hung up the phone and flopped down on the couch, being careful not to hit the orange cat, Fluff, in the process.

\---

"That guy's coming tomorrow?" asked Heero, as Relena placed her phone back in her pocket. She couldn't quite tell if he'd come around or not, though he managed to refrain from calling Duo and "ass" or an "idiot". Today, he was promoted into being "that guy."

"C'mon, Heero, cheer up. By the time your arm's better, Zero'll be ready for you. I can guarantee it." She smiled, gentle and sunny as the colour of her hair. He enjoyed running his fingers through her hair; it was his way of speaking to her physically. Between a broken arm and her determination to prove herself to Wufei, they haven't been able to spend one normal day together. Things haven't been the same since the accident, and they were about to get a whole lot weirder.

"How can you be so easy going?" Heero asked. The question wouldn't go answered, he knew, though she took a minute to think. Relena had an answer for everything; she was invincible. Wufei was lucky to have a woman like that, and he didn't deserve her one bit. It was one of the biggest reasons why Heero had even agreed to let Relena do this. He wanted to see Wufei shatter beneath her feet; he wanted Wufei to become just as much hers as she was his. She wanted the exact same thing, and more.

Relena took a deep breath.

"Well," her eyes faded a bit into a calm, almost dreamy. "There's something about him. Duo, I mean. I just have the feeling that everything's going to be all right."

That wasn't the answer he'd been expecting. Heero shut his eyes and _'hmphed'_.

"You've never even met him."

"Neither have you, and you've already gone on a wild tangent about how awful you think he's gonna be."

Heero didn't respond.

"Where's your sense of adventure?"

Still, Heero didn't respond.

Relena gave him a curious look, but once her eyes met the back of his head, she decided not to pry. She knew it was best not to question him. She was proud to know more about Heero than anyone else on the planet, even if it didn't feel like much. She was still in the dark as to how Heero injured himself and how Zero came to look as if it'd lost a fight with a building-sized cheese grater.

"Who knows, maybe you'll actually like him." It was the last bit of optimism she could offer for the day. There was no telling what Heero would do or feel once noon came and their eyes met for the first time. She could only hope that he didn't pull out any sharp objects on her new teacher.

"Maybe" Heero responded. "But I doubt it."

TBC


End file.
